Perforating apparatus



March 15, 1927. A. BARBER PERFORATING APPARATUS Filed June 26, 1923 lawyer/$0.22

1 all;

Patented Mar. 15, 1292237.

UNKTED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

ANGELO BARBIERI, OF MILAN, ITALY.

PERFORATING APPARATUS.

Application filed June 26, 1923, Serial No. 647,951, and in Italy June 28, 1922.

The present invention relates to an improved device for use with key operated musical instruments which effects the automatic perforation of the note band while a musical piece is played on the instrument so that when the band thus perforated is used in combination with automatic musical instruments, the exact reproduction of the music originally played may be attained.

The improved device comprises in combination a set of electric contacts, an arrangement for driving the paper perforating gear and the perforating gear itself.

The annexed drawings show diagrammatically by way of example a construction embodying the features of the invention.

Fig. l is a diagrammatic verti al section of the perforating device.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing the perforating gear of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view showing a detail of the drive of the perforating punches according to Fig. 1.

Like figures indicate like parts in all the drawings.

According to the drawing. 1 and 2 are two keys of the key-board, one white and the other black. When a key is depressed, the corresponding small plunger 3 drops and allows the contact spring 4 to lay itself on the fixed contact 5, thus closing the circuit comprising energy source 6, conductor wire 7, terminal 9, conductor wire 10, solenoid 11 and conductor wire 12. The solenoid 11 therefore energized and lifts its core 13. which when lifted raises the link rod 14 and swings the bell cranklever 1G. The bell cnnk lever 16 in its turn actuates the horizontal link and slides the plate 43 hinge-connected thereto. Owing to this dis placement of 43, the projecting member 44 of 43 is first brought under a vertically suspended bar 45 and then under another bar 4-5. These two bars move up and down with the same length of stroke but with different speeds, being operated by two cams 46 and 47, of different profile keyed on the same shaft 47. The shaft 47 revolves cont nuously and may be driven for instance by an electric motor. The arrangement may for instance be such that for each revolution of the shaft 47, the bar 45 performs two or three downward strokes and the bar 45 only one.

Consequently, when the sliding plate 43 attached to the link 42 comes with its proection 44 under the rod 45, the plate 43 is pressed downwards as many times as there are downward strokes of the bar 45 and when it lies with theprojection 44 under the bar 45, the plate 43 performs as many downward strokes as 45". In both cases the lowering of the plate 43 will effect the lowermg of the punch 24 and the perforation of the paper strip 28 which on travelling from the drum 33 to the drum 52 passes over the punching support 27 fitted with an aperture 26.

During the whole of the time that the keyboard key remains depressed, a set of aligned perforations will follow upon one another at different speeds according as they are effected by the bar 45 or 45".

The perforations, following one another very closely, will give the impression of a continuous note when the perforated paper band is inserted into an automatic piano forte or piano player. On the other hand they advantageously do away with the long slits produced in the paper by the, continuous perforation method, such long slits shortening the life of the strip.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what ll claim is: V

In an apparatus of the character described comprising a punching device, an

electric solenoid, actuating means for the punching device controlled by the core of the electric solenoid, musical instrument key controlled electric means for energizing the solenoid, the actuating means for the punching device including a plate adapted to slide in horizontal direction above the punch and to be lowered in order to press the underlying punch, said plate being provided with an upwardly projecting member, a system of levers for causlng the sllding of sald plate, a pair of vertical parallel bars adaptedto be reciprocated in such a manner that one or the other engages the projecting member of the plate according to the position of the latter, and means for reciprocating the bars through the same length of stroke, but with different speeds.

ANGELO BARBIERI. 

